Customer Reviews

Journal of a Novel (Penguin Modern Classics)

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Steinbeck wrote the lengthy EAST OF EDEN saga straight through, from January to the first of November, in 1951. Every weekday, he sharpened his beloved pencils, sat down and warmed up, writing in the form of a letter to his friend and publisher, Pascal Covici. The letters he entered on the left side of the manuscript book Covici hand given him; on the right side, after clearing his mind and setting out the days' goals, he'd write his story, averaging about 1,500 words a day. JOURNAL OF A NOVEL collects those daily addresses to Covici, to whom EAST OF EDEN is dedicated.

On the one hand, JOURNAL OF A NOVEL is instructive in how to use journaling to order one's demons, to focus and forge ahead. More important, it brings the reader right up to the man, and Steinbeck is a fascinating person to know. At age 48 when he produced this, he is twice divorced, happily remarried a third time, engaged in fatherhood and transplanted to New York. He is a whittler, a tinkerer, an inventor. His credo is, why pay someone to do something badly that he can do just as badly himself. He maintains an active family, professional and social life that he chattily reports and offers some prescient observations on the Marshall Plan and MacArthur. He is not without his depressive cycles, but at this point in his life he is more understanding of them and never lets them interfere with his work. His resolve is extraordinary.

It is especially rich to read this following WORKING DAYS, the journal he kept as he wrote THE GRAPES OF WRATH. You get a sense of personal growth and a fuller sense of the middle of the 20th century through his eyes.

Highly recommended.

I am a major John Steinbeck fan, and rate Mr. Steinbeck as the finest writer in American history. However, I am lukewarm about "Journal of a Novel," Steinbeck's daily account of the trials of writing his most difficult work, East of Eden, from January through October, 1951.

I was hoping that the journal, addressed to his good friend and editor Pascal Covici, would reveal much about Steinbeck the writer and the man.

However, there is very little of the former except repeated brief accounts of the self-doubt and ups and downs a writer endures while creating a long and complex piece of literature. There are only hints of the technical or mental processes involved his writing.

And the same applies to autobiographical information about this period of his life. There is a lot of the trivia of daily life without the real depth of observation and feeling that is shown in other books of his letters.

He was a master at letter writing, and to find and know the real John Steinbeck, I strongly suggest "Steinbeck: A Life in Letters" edited by Elaine Steinbeck and Robert Wallsten.

The things that writers do to get to the point where they can write good fiction are almost as interesting as the novels they create.

If you have ever wondered what the dedication in East of Eden means (or what Steinbeck originally called the book) this is the place to find it. Peek into the relationship between a great writer and his publisher. Marvel as he discusses the problems that come up from day to day during the process of writing (including finding the right kind of pencil).

This book provides a unique insight into what it must be like to live with genius.

This book gives the reader a unique insight into the day-to-day thoughts and workings of a writer's mind. Steinbeck may not be to everyone's taste, but he can't be denied his place in American literary history. It's difficult to imagine any writer being so honest about the problems he faced in trying to produce a book of this kind - an effort that is recorded every step of the way by this determined but troubled writer

Steinbeck's Journal of a Novel invites the reader into his private chambers, sharing his thoughts and daily activities surrounding the process of composing a classical literary work. From the minute details of how to sharpen a pencil, and even building a mechanical sharpener, to his dwelling and the landscape from his window, the relationships with his editor and his unusual family, his open sincerity brings us into the real world of a writer and the circumstances that provoke or surround the creation of a masterpiece, and shed light into the question of how, exactly, do writers write. -Ney Villamil, Mexico.

I've been a long-time fan of Steinbeck's writing. From thin volumes like "The Red Pony" and "Of Mice and Men" to more substantial novels such as "The Grapes of Wrath," Steinbeck has always impressed me with his muscular prose, his attention to human characteristics, and his fearlessness--as opposed to Hemingway's avoidance--of emotion. What a treasure then to read through the letters he wrote to his friend and editor while working on his greatest novel, by his own reckoning, "East of Eden."

Starting in the days leading up to the actual writing, Steinbeck shares his hopes for his book, his concerns for his children, and his thoughts about critics. As he gets deeper into the writing process, we see how the working title changed from "The Salinas Valley" to "My Valley" to "East of Eden." We smile as he shares his newest inventions and talks about how inventors are seen as crazy--until they make some money at it. We also get insights into the naming of his characters, the themes stemming from the book of Genesis and the story of Cain and Abel, and the ways his own family history overlapped those biblical stories.

All in all, it's a highly readable and enjoyable collection for those who are Steinbeck fans, particularly those like me who love "East of Eden," and also for those who like to write fiction. He gives many peeks at the creative mindset and the practical matters that are part of the writing process. I laughed, smiled, dog-eared pages, and turned nostalgic as I read through this gem of a journal.

John Steinbeck wrote this journal back in 1951 at the age of 50, while writing "East of Eden," one of the greatest American novels of the 20th century and, Steinbeck thought, his best up to that point. The journal shows the introspection of Steinbeck's creative mind, as well as his musings as he interacts with his family. For fans of Steinbeck's genius and far-reaching wisdom, this book is a must read. My only criticism of the book is that at the end there's an interaction between Steinbeck and his publisher, which is a great read; unfortunately, it's way too short!

Fantastic "Mind of the Writer" memoir. Steinbeck gives us an unfiltered view of his writing process during one of his most challenging projects.

Steinbeck's "East of Eden," is without doubt a Classic in American Literature. To read his notes, letters, writings--thought processes is magical. This book is a gift to all who love Steinbeck and his beautifully written book.

Highly recommended.

Deborah/TheBookishDame

Stay away from this book, far away from it unless you have read or are familiar with "East of Eden." Without that background, this book is a tough, tough read, seemingly making little or no sense at all.

The book is comprised of Steinbeck's daily handwritten notes to his editor on the daily handwritten manuscript. As one might expect, a working knowledge of "East of Eden" is essential to understand and fully appreciate those notes.

This book does in fact trace the beginning and development of a novel. It offers a good look at the creative, formative process of a novel, and a revealing inside look at Steinbeck the man. Frankly his notes (this book) reads like a continuming and seemingly endless Twitter to his best friend. Steinbeck's insecurities, the anguish of good writing and his eccentric demands and expectations from gift-giving (and gift-getting) to demanding that his editor send him a special kind of lead pencil by the dozen to write with and special paper to write on.

There are some good (neat) references to events of 1952 when the book was written, things like openings of Broadway shows and Bobby Thompson's epic homerun that won the National League Pennant for the New York Giants ("The Giants win the pennant...the Giants win the pennant"...that game) Steinbeck calls it the greatest baseball game ever played.

A few gems of wisdom and comment on the human condition are here, but they are too few and too far spreadout....the weight of the haystack overcomes the few golden needles to be found here.

Frankly, without a knowledge and appreciaton of "East of Eden," trying to read this book is enough to make you want to give up reading.